Beans, Beans; They're More Than Just Good For Your Heart

They're good for your Heart!  REALLY!  Multiple studies show that beans reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

These tiny little legumes are a miracle food. They are loaded with fiber that aid in lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar and insulin, promoting digestive health, and protecting against cancer.  Not too shabby!

Do you think of whole grains, meat, and veggies when you think of fiber, protein, and antioxidants?  Probably!  But think again, beans offer all of these in one teeny package.  They are also a low-fat source of carbohydrates, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Although there is a large variety of beans, they all contain phytochemicals that inhibit cancer cells from reproducing and growing.  Beans also deliver a walloping amount of antioxidants.  Like turkey, beans contain the amino acid tryptophan; this enzyme helps to regulate appetite, aid in sleep, and improve one's temperament.

Research shows that people who consume beans at least twice a week are 1/4 less likely to develop cancers.  So make sure you get at least 2 cups of beans into your meals a week!


Tip:
-Adzuki and mung beans are among the most easily digested; pinto, kidney, navy, garbanzo, lima, and black beans are more difficult to digest.
-Beans can easily substitute for meat or poultry as the centerpiece of a meal.

Black Bean Burger
1/2 Onion, diced

1 can Black Beans, well drained
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
1/2 Jalapeno, minced
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 c Corn
To Taste Salt and Pepper
1 Large Egg
1 Tbl Mustard
3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
 Oil for Frying

-Saute the onions, peppers, jalapeno, and corn until soft.
-In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth. Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and panko, combine well.
-Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick, coat in panko and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm.
-Enjoy!

Bean Chili
2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 large Red Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large Green Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves Garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup pale beer
1 (32oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 (14oz) can Black Beans
1 (14oz) can Red Kidney Beans
1 (14oz) can Pinto Beans
1 (14oz) Pigeon Peas
1 cup Corn
1 Tbl Ground Cumin
2 Tbl Chili Powder
1 Tbl Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Kosher Salt
8 oz Shredded Cheddar

-Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables.
-Deglaze pan with beer, add tomatoes, beans, and corn stirring to combine.
-Season with spices.
-Simmer over low heat about 30 minutes, then top with shredded cheese and serve.

Bunnies Have Known the Secret All Along

  These vibrant roots are a fantastic source of carotenoids, the potent antioxidants responsible for giving carrots their orange color.  Along with their beutiful hue, an abundance of carotenoids in one's diet can help to decrease the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, as well as, bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagueal cancer. Carrots can also aid in reducing the risks of kidney and ovarian cancers.
  In addition to their cancer fighting abilities, the nutrients in carrots also prevent cardiovascular disease, help strengthen the immune system, and promote colon health.
  Carrots contain other goodies, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C, and an incredible amount of vitamin A.
  Your Mom was correct when she said "carrots are good for your eyes".  They contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which work together to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts and promote overall eye health.
  Diets low in carotenoids are linked to heart disease and various cancers, so make sure you eat at least 1 carrot each day and enjoy them year-round. Culinarily and nutritionally speaking, carrots are good for you whether they're raw or cooked.  In fact, cooking them helps to break down the tough fibers, making some of the nutrients more easily absorbed.

Tips:
-Precut baby carrots are made from whole carrots and, although convenient, they lose important nutrients during processing
-Remove carrot tops before storing them in the fridge, as the tops drain moisture from the roots and will cause the carrots to wilt.

-Buy organic; conventionally grown carrots frequently show high pesticide residues

Vegan Carrot and Zucchini Bread 

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup agave syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated zucchini

- Grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
- Mix together dry ingredients in smaller bowl.
- In larger bowl combine syrups with oil and vanilla, then add carrots and zucchini.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just mixed.
- Bake at 375 degrees until done (about 40 min)
- Let cool before removing from the pan

Pickled Carrots
1 ½ lb Carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
3 Cloves
1/4 cup Honey
1 cup of White Vinegar
1 cup of Water
1 ½ Tbl Mustard Seed
3 sprigs Rosemary
1 Jalapeno, quartered
- In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except the jalapeno and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Sanitize jars and fill with Carrots and 1/4 Jalapeno
-Pour liquid over the carrots and seal.
- Allow to cool upside down.
- Serve cold

     Wishing You a
Happy & Healthy New Year

Make 2016 Your Healthiest Year Yet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too many of us are too familiar 

with this New Year's  scenerio... 

the ball drops, you vow to keep 

your distance from carbs and spend  

the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks intoJanuary, your  motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and  you've skipped morethan a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers  have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss  because it 

doesn't have any calories.It is also a great appetite 

suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're 

really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, 

no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.  

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And 

Veg Per Day 

Fruit and vegetables taste  

delicious and there's so much 

variety to choose from.  They're 

a good source of  vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of  heart disease, 

stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in 

fat and  calories and high in taste.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely  to 

eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your 

diet by having high  fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a 

snack mixed with yogurt in the  afternoon.

Eat Breakfast
Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo  wrestlers  in Japan don't eat breakfast? Really! Skipping  breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain.Start your day with a  breakfast  that combines fiber and lean  protein, in order to rev up your  metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.
Increase your Dairy Intake
Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of a hormone that causes fat storage. Meeting your daily 

calcium  needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. 

Choose low-fat dairy  products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up
Increasing your intake of capsaicin temporarily boosts your  metabolism and 

helps you feel satiated after meals. Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, 

curry to your soup, and  hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your  dish.

Start your Meal with Soup
Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big  bowl of it is a great way to avoid   higher calorie temptations.  Aim for  broth based soups   filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer  calories than cream based soups. 

Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss  but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live  a better quality of life.  Don't give up because you splurged.  DON'T GIVE UP !!
Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and  shedding the pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Schedule Your Nutritional Consultation Today

Don't wait! Schedule meal services for yourself or a loved one today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the Apple of My Pie!

Healthy Changes for a Happy New Year

Happy New Years (ok, so I'm a day or 2... or 3 late)!

 

     Too many of us are too familiar with this New Year's scenerio... the ball drops, you vow to keep your distance from carbs and spend the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks into January, your motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and you've skipped more than a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

     Sounds too familiar, right? Well, you are certainly not alone!  Two of the most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more often.  Rather than setting yourself up for failure, why not start 2011 off on the right foot by making healthy life changes you can actually keep? 

     A few EASY ways that you can keep your healthy resolutions all year long are to make small changes that will transform your life.  Here are some suggestions to make the most of your New Year’s resolution:

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And Vegetables Per Day

Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from. They're a good source of vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in fat and calories and high in taste!

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water

Water is one of the best tools for weight loss because it doesn't have

any calories.  It is also a great  appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.

Eat Breakfast

Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo wrestlers in Japan don't eat breakfast?  Really! Skipping breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain. Start your day with a breakfast that combines fiber and lean protein, in order to rev up your metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely to eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your diet by having high fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a snack mixed with yogurt in the afternoon.

Increase your Dairy Intake

Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage. Instead meeting your daily calcium needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up

Increasing your intake of capsaicin (the compound that gives hot sauce and chili peppers their kick) temporarily boosts your metabolism and helps you feel satiated after meals. Go ahead and heat things up.  Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, curry to your soup, and hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your dish.

Start your meal with soup

Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big bowl of it is a great way to avoid higher calorie temptations. Most soups are low in calories and high in fiber, making them healthy and satisfying. Aim for broth based soups filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer calories than cream based soups.



 Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live a better quality of life.  Don’t give up because you splurged. DON’T GIVE UP !!
     Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and shedding the pounds.

Enjoy!
Chef Heather